If I Had a Nickel
by Lady Emily
Summary: Eric gets an apology in the dead of night. [EricDonna one shot.]


Summary: Eric gets an apology in the dead of night.

A/N: Hey, all! I'm back with another E/D one-shot. This one also takes place as an alternate version of Eric's return from Africa. Hope you enjoy!

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Donna Pinciotti could not believe she was doing this. What kind of girl tried to climb through her ex-boyfriend's bedroom window in the middle of the night?

Trying not to think about her stalkerish behavior, Donna concentrated on sneaking through the Formans' yard as quietly as she could. She really hoped he would want to see her. She had said some things to him this afternoon upon his return from Africa, things she really wished she could take back.

_She opened the door. "Eric, what are you doing here?" _

"_Donna." Eric breathed, looking at her like he had never seen her before._

_Watching him watching her, all of her anger towards him began rushing back. "Stop staring like an idiot. What do you want?" she snapped. She would never admit that she thought it was adorable._

_Hurt flashed in his eyes and she felt a pang of remorse. Not enough to unfold her arms and stop glaring, but a pang nonetheless. _

"_I thought you'd be happy to see me." Eric said awkwardly._

_Donna raised an eyebrow._

_Eric shot her a half-smile. "Okay, that's not true. But I at least thought you wouldn't be **un**happy to see me..."_

"_Oh, so that's what you want now?" Donna said coolly. "To come waltzing back to me so we can pick up where we left off?" He was standing on the doorstep, and she had no intention of letting him in. "Well, I have news for you, Eric 'break-up-with-my-fiancee-by-mail' Forman! You made it very clear that we were done when you wrote that letter!"_

"_I'm sorry." he answered, eyes downcast._

"_Sorry for what?" she retorted. "Don't worry about me! I'm fine! I'm finally getting everything I wanted. I'm moving to Madison next week. I'm going to go to college." she paused. "I've got Randy." That wasn't technically true- Randy and she were only friends as of a few days ago- but she wanted to inflict as much pain upon Eric as he had upon her when he'd left her. "I don't have to worry about **anybody** holding me back anymore!" She knew she was touching a nerve, some of his deepest insecurities, and she wasn't sorry._

"_Oh." he said, trying to save face. "Oh. Listen Donna, I'm... Look, I'll admit I wanted to come over here and tell you I made a huge mistake and, just, I'm sorry... But, I want you to be happy, so..." his voice cracked a little on the last few words. "I'm glad you're happy."_

_Suddenly twisting the knife didn't seem important to Donna. Or fair. "I'm glad you're... back." she replied. She felt tears threatening. "I've... gotta go." she whirled back into the house, shutting the door behind her, leaving Eric standing dejectedly on the step. _

In retrospect, she could see she had been a bitch, practically attacking Eric just for knocking on the door to tell her he was sorry. She had let her emotions control her and she felt like an ass. She could only hope he would forgive her like she had already forgiven him.

Now, standing under his window, Donna looked at the trellis leaning against the house, trying to figure out how to get up without ruining too many of Kitty's roses. After planning her route, she started climbing. The act in itself gave her flashbacks.

_She grinned silently as she stood over her sleeping boyfriend. He looked so adorable and he was mumbling in his sleep. She sat at the foot of his bed, ready to wake him, but he awoke on his own._

"_Damn." he muttered._

"_What's wrong?" she said. _

_He screamed and jumped a mile high. Trying to recover gracefully, he grinned. "I mean... hey baby."_

_There was a long pause and they just stared at each other. He looked like he was trying to figure out if he was dreaming, and to be honest, she sort of felt the same way._

"_I can't believe you're in my bed! I can't believe you came through my window!" Eric gasped._

"_I know." she said, a little embarrassed at her forwardness. Showing up in his bedroom in the middle of the night? "Well, I was just at home thinking about you and I thought, why not crawl up the side of his house and say hello?" Great story, Donna, she thought, giving her forehead a mental smack. "So, hello..." She waved, as if she didn't already feel foolish enough._

_But Eric waved back. "Hello." He grinned and she could feel the embarrassment melting away. Eric never made her feel foolish. "Did anyone see you?"_

"_Um, just Hyde." She'd run into him trying to get to Eric the easy way- through the basement- but had chickened out when Hyde spotted her._

_Eric vaulted out of bed and busted Hyde listening at the door._

"_I heard a noise downstairs and it scared me."_

_She laughed and climbed into the bed as Eric begged his friend to stop 'ruining what could be the most important night of my life, here,' and shut the door. _

_He turned back to her, shrugging, and she could read the desire in his eyes when he saw her drawing the covers up around herself. Climbing back into the bed, he slipped his arms around her waist and kissed her. "This is so... I can't believe this! You've never been in my bed before!"_

_She pressed against him excitedly. "I know! I'm in your bed!"_

They hadn't 'Done It' that night, but it was still one of the most romantic nights of her life. She remembered kissing him and being in his arms and just... sleeping. Together.

She reached the sill and fumbled with the window. It slid open with a soft creak and she hoisted herself inside. Misjudging the distance to the floor, she stumbled and fell on her hands and knees. "Dammit!" she hissed.

There was movement from the bed. "What! Who's-? ...Donna?"

She stood up, brushing herself off and closing the window behind her. Cheeks burning, she approached Eric slowly.

He was sitting up in bed. "Donna." he whispered again. He flashed her a tentative smile. "Oh, if I had a nickel for every girl who climbed through my window in the middle of the night..."

"You'd have five cents and you'd owe it to me." Donna finished, her embarrassment fading just as it had on that night four years ago.

"But I'd have a nickel for each individual time you did it." Eric corrected.

"Oh, in that case, you'd be rich." Donna said. She sat on the end of the bed and tried to ignore the questioning look he was giving her. For all his joking, he was hurt and confused and she couldn't blame him. "Gave up on the nude sleeping thing?" she smiled, gesturing to his t-shirt and sweatpants.

"Well, once you've been in Africa you realize just how cold Point Place is..." Eric answered with a grin. Then he raised his eyebrows and said more seriously, "Donna? What are you doing here?"

The shadows in the dark room made his face look softer, more handsome. "I'm sorry." she said softly.

"You're sorry?" Eric repeated, trying to make eye contact in the dark.

Donna gave a little smile. "I realize now that it was unnecessary to verbally attack you at my house this afternoon." she said. "And I'm so sorry, Eric. I really am glad you're back."

Eric looked away from her. "Doesn't make those things you said any less true."

"What?"

"Nothing." Eric said quickly. He stared at her for a moment more. "...Are you and Randy... serious?" he asked reluctantly.

Donna froze. What was the best way to tell him she'd been lying about Randy?

Before she could answer, Eric asked, "Won't he be wondering why you're in my bed?" Under his breath, he added, "I wouldn't mind knowing that myself..."

"I wanted to apologize." Donna repeated.

"And it couldn't wait for normal business hours?" Eric asked skeptically.

"Fine, then. For old times' sake?" Donna tried again.

Eric just gave her a look. "Fine. Apology accepted. Now will you be leaving via door or window?"

"Eric..." Donna pleaded. "Don't be like that. I'm sorry!"

"Me too." he whispered. His eyes lifted to hers and she was stunned by the intensity burning in them.

Donna reached out and put her hand over his, and they both started at the spark of contact between him. She hadn't seen him for nearly a year and suddenly she wanted to touch him wherever she could. "Eric..." she breathed.

"Look Donna," Eric swallowed nervously. "When you come into my room in the middle of the night like this, you make an impression, and I don't think it's the one you want to make."

Donna was staring at his lips. "Randy and I aren't together anymore." she blurted. _There, that was easy._

"You a-...you aren't." Eric repeated dumbly. Well that just sounded like an invitation to stop controlling himself. "Umm... Why not?" His voice sounded strangled.

"Because..." Donna couldn't help it. She scooted closer to him and kissed him, one hand on his shoulder, the other sliding through his hair. It reminded her of their first kiss... in that he didn't move his lips. She pulled back slowly, afraid of what he was going to say. "Eric?"

It took a minute for Eric to remember why he didn't want to kiss her, but then he was ready with a comeback. "Donna... Hey Donna? I, um, don't want you to have to worry about me_ holding you back_ anymore."

After pointedly not looking at her, he climbed out of bed and headed over to the window, looking down. "_Can she get down this way?_" he asked himself quietly. "Eh. Too dangerous." He walked to his bedroom door and held it open expectantly. "Um... okay?" he asked Donna.

Donna bit her lip, unable to believe that mild-mannered Eric had thrown her own words back in her face and was now, literally, showing her the door! "I didn't mean that." she told him. "I've never felt you were holding me back, Eric. Ever." She was surprised by the tears suddenly sparkling in her eyes when a moment ago they were dry. "I promise."

Eric nodded imperceptibly but didn't close the door.

"Please." Donna whispered, a solitary tear winding down her cheek. "I want to stay with you." She got up and moved towards Eric, stopping in front of him and reaching a hand to him.

"You... you, what?" Eric ran a hand through his hair, collapsing onto his bed. Donna stood by the door, frozen.

"I knew you'd be mad at me when I came back." She wasn't sure if Eric was talking to her or himself. "But I never thought-" He looked up at Donna, standing forlornly by the door, her hand on the knob, and softened.

"Get in." he said finally.

Donna's eyes locked with his and she smiled. Slowly, she walked back to the bed and sat down. He lifted the covers and she got under them. He slipped under after her and faced her. "Eric..."

He put his arms around her. "I want you to stay with me too." He leaned down and kissed her softly, lazily... lovingly. "Let's just-"

"Forget all that other stuff happened?" Donna finished with a smirk, and Eric nodded, pulling her closer so she was cradled in his arms. He kissed her again and suddenly it was like that first night she had slept over. "I love being with you like this." Donna confessed quietly.

"I love you." Eric said.

Donna rested her head on his chest and felt the thrill shock her entire body. "And I love you." His arms closed around her and it was the best kind of intimacy.

There were things to discuss and plans to make, but that could wait for morning.

And he just held her all night, exactly like she knew he would.

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A/N: I admire Donna. Even with a trellis, I still think climbing through a second story window in the middle of the night sounds hard. I mean she said she "crawled up the side of his house," like she's Spiderman or something. Huh. Spiderman... Oh, the irony. Lol.

Anyway, please review. Hearing your thoughts will definitely help me with my next story.


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